Over The Years
by Just Another Wise Girl
Summary: She's seven. She's seventeen. She's twenty-one. She's twenty-four. She's twenty-six. She's twenty-nine. Years pass. Problems change. People change. Feelings change. OR She meets him a few times and every moment she does, it isn't long enough. AU. Oneshot. *Percabeth*


**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson.**

**Warning: Contains foul language and sexual content. **

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_"What a slut time is. She screws everybody."_

_- John Green, The Fault In Our Stars_

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**Over The Years**

She's seven.

She may be young, but she's not dumb. She knows they don't care about her. She can see it in their eyes and the way they ignore her. She's tried to get their attention by being good in school, cleaning up her room, being a good daughter... But it wasn't enough.

_She's_ not enough.

So they don't need her. Fine. Perfect. She doesn't need them either.

Who needs a family anyways? Especially one that doesn't care about them, or even acknowledge their existence. She can be on her own just fine. She's smart. She wouldn't get all those gold stars in school if she wasn't. So she can figure something out.

But the fact that it's been nearly half a day and they still haven't gone looking for her hurts. She's sitting underneath the large junglegym at the park, her favourite spot, right under the slide. It's nice because there are these metal walls that kids have drawn pictures on throughout the years. She's drawn one herself. A small owl placed in the right hand corner. She frowns when she remembers who helped her draw it in the first place.

It's starting to rain. Parents are yelling for their children to come quickly before they get soaked. She doesn't mind. The slide and walls protect her from the cold wind and water. Besides, she kinda likes the rain. It reminds her of better times. Of when her father would read to her on the porch and they'd sip hot chocolate together while they'd watch the droplets fall from the sky.

The thought makes her lips tremble.

Before she knows it, she's crying. She never cries. Not even when she fell off her bike and scraped her knee. Or when that mean girl Clarisse pushed her into the mud.

_Stop crying. Just stop._

She can't. And as the rain falls harder, so do her tears.

"Are you okay?"

She jumps at the sound of a new voice. She turns to find a boy. He's kneeling beside her with a worried look on his face.

He looks around her age. He's shorter than her with black hair sticking to his forehead from the rain. Some of the strands fall into his eyes which makes her think he needs a haircut. His cheeks are a little chubby and his eyes are big and wide. It looks like he's impersonating a baby seal. Except his eyes are some sort of green colour that she can't quite place.

She likes his eyes.

But she doesn't like the fact that he found her crying. She also doesn't like to look weak in front of people, especially boys. The boys at her school would never let her play any sports with them because she was a girl, which made her angry. She's not a fan of the male gender.

She scowls at him and responds, "Leave me alone."

Something flashes in his eyes. It looks like hurt. She feels guilty for a second since he really didn't do anything to her, but she can't bring herself to say sorry. She's a little on the proud side.

"Why are you crying?" he asks.

Her eyebrows knit in confusion. She doesn't understand why he's being so persistent. She's made it clear she wants to be alone. "It's none of your business. Now go away."

He purses his lips and looks down. That's when she notices the brown paper bag in his hand. He digs into it and retrieves a cookie. A _blue_ cookie, to be exact. He hands it to her.

"My mom makes me this when I'm sad," he says. "It always makes me feel better."

She takes the cookie hesitantly. She examines it, she's never seen a cookie of this colour before. But she takes a bite anyways. And it's good.

_Really_ good.

For the first time all day, a smile spreads across her face. The boy looks relieved and smiles back.

"Thank you," she says somewhat shyly since she's now embarrassed from being so rude to him before.

"You're welcome," he replies with a toothy grin. His face then turns serious, she doesn't like that. She prefers seeing his smiling face. "Can you tell my why you were crying now? I promise to keep it a secret."

She looks away from him and contemplates on whether or not to tell this strange boy about her problems. She's only just met him after all. But he gave her a cookie and made her feel better. With that thought in mind, she decides he can be trusted.

"I ran away from home."

The boy's eyes widen, which she didn't think could be possible. "Why?"

"Because my parents don't love me."

His eyebrows scrunch together as he repeats, "Why?"

"They don't spend time with me anymore. All they care about are my two baby brothers. They haven't even come looking for me."

He doesn't say anything for a minute. Then he says something that surprises her. "I think you should go back."

"What?"

"If I were your parents, I think I'd be very sad if you left. I think they are looking for you, but they just don't know where to look. You should go back and tell them everything you told me. Maybe they'll say sorry."

_That's silly,_ she thought, _adults don't say sorry. _

Doubt settled over her. "I don't know..."

"I'll give you another cookie if you go," he bribes. He waves the dessert in front of her face, tempting her. She grabs it and looks at his face, still unsure. "Trust me?"

She does.

She does trust him.

So she says goodbye to the kind boy, who runs toward a nice looking lady with dark wavy hair, holding an umbrella. He waves at her one last time and sends a bright smile her way before disappearing into the rain.

Not long after, she hears her name being called in the distance.

She turns and sees her parents, with frantic looks on their faces. She stays planted where she is, completely in shock.

"Oh sweetheart, there you are!" Her father embraces her in the tightest hug in existence.

Her mother's eyes are tinted red. She's been crying. "We were so worried about you!"

All she can think of is, _They came. They came for me._

She looks over her father's shoulder to where the boy used to be. She smiles, and mentally thanks him.

She tells her parents why she left. They apologize and tell her they love her. She apologizes too.

And as she stares up at her ceiling, her warm blankets enveloping her in her bed, she only has one regret.

She wishes she had asked for his name.

~oOo~

She's seventeen.

She's pretty much done with high school and it's cliques and drama and bad cafeteria food. She just want it to end so she can start a new life away from these idiots who think that partying is more important than getting your grades and shit together so you won't be some homeless drunk.

Long story short, she likes doing well in school and she hates people.

She's not completely anti-social though. She plays on the girls varsity basketball team. She may not be captain, but she's good. Damn good, actually.

There's been a few games where a bunch of scouts from different universities have come to see her play. She has a definite chance of receiving a scholarship for academics, but getting one for athletics would be a dream come true.

She's about to enter the locker room to get dressed for tonight's game against Goode High. They were a strong team, but she knew her team could win. Just before she enters though, she bumps shoulders with someone. The action makes her gym bag fall to the ground. She lets out an annoyed sigh before she bends down to pick it up.

"My bad, are you okay?"

"Peachy," she replies back, a harsh edge to her tone. She doesn't need these distractions before she pumps herself up.

She looks at the guy who bumped into her to give him her famous glare, but hesitates. Her scowl wavers as she looks at his face.

_I know this guy._

Where she knows him from, she's not sure. There's just a sense of familiarity about him. And the way he smiles apologetically, makes her feel guilty for being so snappy.

"Well I really am sorry," he says, "And good luck today."

He quickly leaves and she stares after him. Where the hell has she seen him before? He isn't from her school so he must be a spectator from Goode High. But she's sure she doesn't know anyone from there.

One of her teammates calls her inside and all thoughts of the mystery boy are long gone. Her only focus is on the game. And as the ball is tipped, she has one goal: Score.

And she does.

It's near the end of the game and she knows that they're going to win. They're up ten points in the fourth with only two minutes left.

She's dribbling down the court when Goode's post player pushes her out of bounds. It wasn't that hard of a push, but she loses her balance and trips over her own feet, making herself fall into the crowd. She lands on someone who grabs her arms to keep her from toppling them both over the bench. She looks up and sees just one colour.

Green.

That's when it hits her.

_Oh my God._

Her teammates pull her back into the court before she can say anything. But from the surprised look on his face, she figures that he came to the same realization as her.

The guy who bumped into her before and who she crashed into just now, was the boy from the park. The boy that offered her his alien looking cookie and convinced her to go back to her parents. It was because of him that her relationship with her mom and dad has been repaired.

The buzzer sounds and she shakes the thoughts away. She has to focus. But she can feel his eyes on her as she moves around the court. It's unnerving and a little exhilarating at the same time.

The point guard passes her the ball. She fakes out her defender and goes in for the lay-up. She's in the air, the ball leaving her hand, when a force so strong smashes into her.

She recalls flying.

And pain.

Lots of pain.

She hears shouts from the crowd. A whistle being blown. The sounds of an ambulance. Her parents' voices.

And then darkness.

It's a while before she wakes up. She can tell from how dry her throat feels and how her eyes immediately shut from the glaring light of the room.

Her head feels like it's spinning and her arm hurts. She opens her eyes and looks down to see a cast placed around her shooting arm.

A crushing feeling settles over her. Her heart feels like it's being ripped apart.

"Hey sweetheart." Her Dad's voice, usually so comforting and optimistic, is filled with dread.

"I'm done aren't I?" She winces at how raspy her voice sounds.

"I wouldn't say that," he says, trying to lift her spirits. "Once you're out of the cast, we can arrange for you to meet with a physical trainer and-"

"What happened?" she interrupts.

He sighs. "The post player slammed into you while you were in mid-air and you hit the wall. You fell on your arm the wrong way and hit your head against the floor. The doctor says you have a concussion and your arm is broken in three places."

She looks away from him. The burning behind her eyes becoming too much. "Can you please leave?" He opens his mouth to protest, but she quickly says, "Please Dad. I just want to be alone right now."

He nods and exits the room. As soon as he's gone her tears slide down her face without restraint. She wanted to play in a university so badly, but how can she with a broken arm that probably won't heal for months? No one will accept her for a sports scholarship now.

She hears a knock on the door and she quickly wipes her eyes before it opens. At first, she thinks she's imagining things. But after he smiles at her, she realizes he's really there.

"Hi," he says, shifting from foot to foot rather awkwardly.

"Hi," she replies back, sniffling a bit. How was it that he always found her crying?

"Um, I brought these for you." He pulls a brown paper bag from behind his back. He opens it to reveal the same blue cookies from ten years ago. She stares at them and laughs.

He looks confused, but smiles at her just the same.

She takes a bite of the treat and hums appreciatively. "God, they're just as amazing as I remember."

"I'm glad you think so." They're quiet for a minute before he says, "I'm sorry for what happened."

"Don't be," she says bitterly, "it wasn't your fault."

"If it helps, one of your teammates punched the post player in the face."

She smiles. "Was it number twenty-two?"

"Yeah."

"That's my best friend, Thalia."

He laughs. "Remind me to never piss her off."

"Noted."

They eat the cookies in silence. She takes the time to look at him. He's definitely taller than her now. His hair is a complete mess, with its different lengths sticking up all over the place. He looks tanner than what she remembered and he has a bit of muscle, but not a lot.

The only thing that hasn't changed are his eyes. They're still wide and bright and green. And this time she knows the colour. They're a beautiful shade of sea-green that reminds her of a never ending ocean.

He catches her staring at him and smirks. "Are you checking me out?"

Well, isn't he full of himself.

She rolls her eyes. "In your dreams."

"How'd you know?"

She laughs. He laughs with her.

They fall into comfortable conversation until his phone rings and he frowns at the message. "I have to go now or else my Mom's going to call the police, SWAT team, and FBI to come looking for me."

She grins. "Overprotective mother?"

"You don't know the half of it," he chuckles. She hands him back the bag of treats, but he shakes his head. "Keep it. It's my gift to you."

He gets up to leave, but before he goes she says, "Thanks, by the way. For, you know, making me feel better."

He grins at her, his eyes sparkling. "It's what I'm here for."

He sends her a wink and something churns in her stomach. She doesn't like the feeling, since she's only met this boy twice and she knows next to nothing about him except that he eats strange coloured foods and his Mom's very protective of him.

Still, she can't deny that he's nice. And funny. And, admittedly, kinda cute.

A thought comes to her mind and she immediately smacks her forehead for not thinking of it sooner.

She should have asked for his name.

_Idiot. _

~oOo~

She's twenty-one.

It's her birthday and Thalia decided to drag her to a club to celebrate being able to drink legally. There were flashing lights all over that could make anyone have a seizure, so many people that she started to feel claustrophobic, and the music was so loud she couldn't even hear herself speak.

But once she had a little alcohol in her system, it was actually pretty fun.

She was dancing with Thalia when a mop of dark black hair caught her eye. Not for the first time, she thought it was the boy again. She hasn't seen him since that day at the hospital. You would think after four years she'd be able to forget him, but instead she found herself looking for him in large crowds and her heart sped up every time she saw a guy with his hair colour in the distance.

But she never found him.

Granted, she had a hunch where he went to high school, but she never had the courage to go seek him out. He was still a stranger. But he was a stranger that helped her in more ways than one. To this day, she still beats herself up over not getting his name.

"Hey." Thalia's voice shakes her out of her thoughts. She nudges her head toward the bar. "You've got an audience, and a _damn_ hot one at that."

She looks over her shoulder, and sure enough a guy was staring at her with a sort of interested expression on his face. It wasn't like a I-want-to-take-you-home sort of interested, but more of a I-think-I've-seen-you-before-and-I'm-trying-to-figure-out-from-where interested.

She takes note of his black hair, wild and untamed. His lazy posture as he sits on his stool, leaning against the bar with one arm, his other holding a beer. He smirks at her, once he realizes she's noticed him. She doesn't even need to look at his eyes to know that she's found him.

She turns back to Thalia, a sense of nervousness and excitement settling over her. "I'll be back, Thals."

Her friend gives her a knowing look. "Highly doubtful, but if you need me, I'll be near the DJ." Just before she leaves, she winks and says, "Good luck. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

She takes a deep breath, trying to slow down her racing heart, and walks towards the bar.

She sits down in the stool next to him and he smiles down at her. He's a little taller than she remembered and he's definitely gotten more muscular. His arms are well defined and she suddenly gets this strange urge to run her hands over them... As well as other parts of his body.

_Stop that. _

"Hey there stranger," he greets, his voice is deep and husky. Her stomach starts doing a gymnastics routine, whether from him or from all the alcohol she's drank, she's not sure. "It's been a while."

"It has, hasn't it? I didn't think I'd see you again."

A mischievous glint sparks in his eyes. They're still as beautiful as ever.

"But you're glad you did right?" He grins, and damn if it isn't an amazing sight.

"Don't flatter yourself. I'd only be glad to see you if you had any more of those blue cookies with you."

He laughs, the sound making her shiver. "Sorry, fresh out."

"Damn. I'm utterly disappointed. I've been waiting years to eat them again."

"Then let me make it up to you." He moves a little closer. "How about I buy you a drink instead?"

"Buy me two and you've got a deal."

He smirks. "Consider it done."

After spending some time drinking and talking to him, she admits to herself that she's completely attracted to him. When they were teens, she thought he was cute, but now that he's a man... Goddamn, he has to be the hottest person she's ever met, hands down. She thinks the alcohol is having a severe effect on her, but she can't bring herself to care. She really likes... Whatever his name is.

Yeah, she still doesn't know his name.

She's been meaning to bring it up during conversation, but she can't bring herself to do it. She kinda likes the mystery. He's fascinating and funny and sexy, all at the same time. Not to mention he has this smile that melts her completely. No one has ever had this effect on her before, so when he asks, "Do you want to dance?" she knows that there's no way she can deny him anything.

They dance closely. His hands moving from her waist to her hips. Hers running up his arms, to his shoulders, to his neck. He pulls them impossibly closer and by then, she can't hear the music anymore. She just feels him. Just him.

And it's perfect.

She's drunk and she knows it, but it doesn't stop her from smiling when he buries his face in the crook of her neck. His fingers running softly up and down her back. And when he plants the lightest kiss near her ear, electricity hums through her body.

_Fuck it._

She pulls his face away from her neck and smashes his lips against hers. Hard.

He makes a sound at the back of his throat that makes her knees buckle. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her feverishly. His tongue swipes across her bottom lip and she opens for him. His hands go to her hair and that's when she knows she's done for.

"Let's go somewhere," she says breathlessly between kisses.

He nods, his brilliant eyes glazed and his cheeks flushed. He looks so sexy she can't help kissing him one more time before they're walking to his apartment. Thank God it's close by because she could barely wait another second before kissing him again.

As soon as his door closes, his arms wrap around her. His hot kisses making a path down her neck. She moans when he sucks on a certain spot beneath her jaw and he growls appreciatively.

Before she knows it, they're on his bed, his shirt is off, she's in her underwear, and they're rolling around in the covers, kissing and touching and- _God_, she's never felt anything so wonderful.

Her breath is ragged as she says, "I never do this."

"Me neither," he responds, looking at her in a way that makes her heart soar. "God, you're so beautiful."

Her face feels like it's on fire, which is ridiculous considering what they were about to do. He smiles at her, like he enjoys making her flustered, and kisses her cheeks.

She runs her hands over the hard planes of his stomach and gazes into his entrancing green eyes.

She's met him three times.

She doesn't know his name.

She's kissed him.

She's about to sleep with him.

And yet, she can't bring herself to care.

Even in her drunken state, she knows there's something about him that's left a memorable impression on her.

But right now, with him over top of her, kissing her like he's a dying man and she's his salvation, she has other things on her mind.

~oOo~

She's twenty-four.

She's finishing up her university degree for architecture and is currently running late for her afternoon lecture. She's frantically scurrying down the sidewalk, dodging the people who are too slow and continuously checking her watch at the same time.

_Ten minutes. I can make it._

And of course, because luck is not on her side today, she bumps into someone once she turns the corner. She spills the coffee he was carrying all over his white shirt and he yelps from the heat.

"I am so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going and I-" She stops short when she looks at his face. Her breath catches in her throat and heart drops into her stomach.

_No. Not him. Anyone but him. _

He looks as stunned as her. "Um, it's no problem. I wasn't really paying attention either."

His voice is still the same, and he's still fit. His hair is shorter though and he has a little stubble across his jaw. She quickly glimpses at his eyes and yup, still as breathtaking and green as ever.

"Well, I can pay for your dry cleaning or something," she offers, but really she just wants to bolt from this conversation as soon as possible.

He waves it off. "No, no that's not necessary. But thank you."

"You're welcome."

They both shift awkwardly. She notices that his cheeks are dusted with a light pink. Probably from thinking of their night together.

She's been wishing that she wouldn't see him again. As incredible as that night was (and waking up with his arms around her naked torso wasn't too bad either), all of her spontaneity and confidence had faded by the morning. She couldn't believe what she had done. So as a result, she had quickly climbed out of his bed, gotten dressed, and left without a word.

She hasn't seen him in three years.

And God does she regret it.

She realized not long after that she shouldn't have left. They could have had something. But she blew it, and now here they were, standing awkwardly and avoiding eye contact.

She glances at her watch and nearly has a heart attack when she sees she has less than five minutes to get to class.

"Um, I have to go now so, I guess I'll see you around."

His eyes look pained as he says, "Yeah, okay. I'll see you."

She starts to walk away, and she's surprised to find that farther she gets away from him, the emptier she feels.

"Wait!" he calls. He grabs her hand to stop her and she turns to see that his eyes are the widest she's ever seen them. They're frantic, yet also hopeful.

"Yeah?"

He takes a deep breath and swallows. "I was wondering if um, maybe, you'd like to go out. Sometime. With me. Like, to eat, you know... Food and stuff."

She blinks at him for a second and then involuntarily lets a small laugh escape. He slaps his hand over his eyes and turns a deep red.

"Oh God," he groans. "I've never been good at this."

"No!" she protests. "I thought it was cute."

He peeks at her through his fingers. "Really?"

"Really."

"I just..." he sighs. "I just wasn't expecting to see you and the last time we were together didn't really end the way I wanted it to. So when I saw you walking away I just couldn't let you step out of my life again. I know we've only met a few times, but I like you way more than I should and I don't want to mess up my chance again."

She gapes at him. "You didn't mess anything up."

Confusion settles over his face. "I didn't?"

"No," she confirms. "If anything I was the one who messed things up. I was the one who left after all."

"Why did you leave?" His eyes take a sudden interest in his shoes.

She takes a moment to answer. "I was scared," she admits. "Not of you, but of the way I was feeling for you, I guess. I had only met you twice before and it frightened me how much I felt for you in such a short time."

She looks away from him, but his hand tilts her chin towards his face. His smile is so large it makes her heart pound painfully. "So... You like me?"

She feels the heat seep into her cheeks. His smile widens.

"What is it you like about me?" he asks in a teasing tone.

"Nothing at the moment," she grumbles.

"Is it my blinding hotness?"

"Oh my God," she groans.

"Is it my fun-loving personality?"

"I take everything I said back."

He leans in close, and whispers in her ear, "It's because I'm sexy isn't it?" She shivers from his hot breath and can practically feel the wicked smile on his face. "I knew it."

She pushes him away and he laughs. "You're insufferable."

"But you like me anyways." His smile turns fond, and she can't help but smile back. "It's okay, I like you too."

She rolls her eyes halfheartedly. "You said that already."

He takes her hand. "And I'll keep saying it until you agree to go out with me. So what do you say? Will you go to dinner with me this Friday?"

She looks into his beautiful sea-green eyes that stare at her so intently. Her lecture long forgotten. All she cares about now is this man in front of her, offering her a second chance. "I'd love to."

"Great," he grins. "Can I have your number?"

"Sure, but I'd like to know something first."

"Anything."

"What's your name?"

And the way he laughs and smiles at her, makes the wait worth it.

~oOo~

She's twenty-six.

She can't remember a time where she was happier. Standing here, with him in front of her, she doesn't think life could get any better.

"I do," she says confidently.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest announces. "You may kiss the bride."

And kiss her he does.

He lifts her up and twirls her around as his lips move against hers. She laughs into the kiss as the guests cheer and let out yells of excitement for the newlyweds.

He sets her back down and rests his forehead against hers. The colour of his eyes consume her vision.

"I love you, Percy."

"I love you too, Annabeth."

It may have taken a few cookies, injuries, breathless nights, and confessions, but in the end she's overjoyed that they were able to get to this point.

And right now, being wrapped in his arms, she wouldn't have it any other way.

~oOo~

She's twenty-nine.

Her smile reaches her ears as he enters the room. He walks over to her and envelops her in a hug and kisses her thoroughly.

He notices that her smile isn't wavering, so he raises an eyebrow and asks, "Why are you smiling like that?"

She can't contain her excitement anymore, so she just blurts out, "I'm pregnant."

And the way he lifts her up and pumps his fist into the air, like he just won the lottery, makes her fall for him just a little more.

**_Fin._**


End file.
